5-Day Program

Execution

Drive effective and efficient execution of the strategic plan

About the program

In the business world, it is almost certain that your evaluation will be largely based on results, goals achieved, significant initiatives executed, and how well you make change happen.

The task of executing strategies and major projects in today's business environment is substantial, with increasing levels of complexity and uncertainty, rapid rates of change, and short-term performance versus long-term considerations.

Studies conducted by McKinsey and the Harvard Business School, have shown that the average firm achieves less than 65% of its strategic plan and 90% of these failures are due to a lack of execution. Why? The major reasons include ineffective leadership and under-developed organizational capabilities.

Queen's Execution Program provides you with leadership insights and the tools to recognize and overcome executional barriers.

In this Program you will learn how to:

  • Ensure that your strategy has an execution orientation
  • Exercise responsible leadership to identify and overcome executional barriers
  • Create organizational focus on key priorities and activities
  • Create an effective and efficient execution culture and environment

Who should attend

Managers and executives in all functional areas who are charged with executing elements of the company’s strategic plan.

PMI logo

This program provides participants with PDUs to renew both PMP and PgMP certification.

HRPA logo

Queen’s Execution Program is also designated as an approved HRPA continuing professional development activity.

Participants come from many backgrounds. Here are some common challenges:

  • My organization is playing things safe, and losing their competitive edge.
  • Oversight and excessive hierarchy make it impossible to get things done.
  • Our organizational structure is outdated and/or dysfunctional.
  • We've bolted too many parts onto employee roles – they can't possibly get everything done.
  • My organization values short-term gain over long-term value.
  • We're missing out on attracting high-potential millennials.
You might also be interested in: Queen's Strategy Program, Queen's Leadership Program

Personal Benefits

  • Learn how to identify and overcome executional barriers
  • Learn to execute with excellence and improve personal and team performance
  • Understand the true meaning of responsible leadership and how it impacts execution
  • Implement best practice in execution systems in your operational unit

Organizational benefits

  • Create focus and clarity within the organization
  • Increase employee engagement and commitment
  • Develop a culture with a strong execution orientation
  • Create reward systems that align with objectives

Program content

The program leverages the educational power of multiple teaching tools, including class discussions, exchange of ideas and perspectives with faculty and fellow participants, simulations, one-on-one coaching, and the development of a self-directed action plan for improving personal and organizational effectiveness.

Ensuring an Execution-Oriented Strategy

  • Setting goals that stretch the organization while remaining focused and realistic
  • Focusing on your organization's core strengths
  • Ensuring that organizational resources are not spread too thin

Responsible Leadership

  • Communicating the terms, purpose and goals of the organization
  • Aligning priorities and key performance indicators to the organization's strategic objectives
  • Expanding organizational involvement in the planning process to create alignment and commitment
  • Ensuring that activities are prioritized, incentives and reward systems are aligned with objectives, and accountability is clear
  • Establishing fairness and encouraging knowledge-sharing across the organization
  • Minimizing wasted resources
  • Eliminating ineffective processes

Organizational Capabilities and Focus

  • Choosing the right "execution lane"
  • Ensuring that your execution capabilities are powerful and distinct
  • Implementing formal process controls and checkpoints
  • Creating efficiency and operational excellence
  • Establishing organizational agility

Creating an Effective Execution Culture and Environment

  • Creating recruitment and development processes that build commitment and engagement
  • Developing evidence-based approaches to ensure your employees are engaged on a daily basis
  • Creating reward systems that are consistent, aligned and integrated
  • Designing work spaces that enhance employee commitment and satisfaction

The Balanced Score Card Simulation

  • Recognizing the importance of leading performance indicators
  • Tying execution performance to strategic success
  • Exploring the potential risks and benefits of making mid-course corrections

Session leaders include senior professors from Smith School of Business and knowledgeable experts from industry. These outstanding teachers are constantly in touch with today's business world through real-world business experience, Board memberships and their own consulting practices.

Bill Blake

Bill Blake is the former Associate Dean of MBA Programs at Smith School of Business.  His research and teaching interests are leadership and the relationship between cultural adaptability and international effectiveness.  He is extensively involved in executive education. He has served on the boards of directors of Fishery Products International, Homestead Land Holdings and the national network of International Business Schools.  From 1992 to 2002, he was Dean of Business at Memorial University, and is Past Chair of the Canadian Federation of Business School Deans.

Kathryn Brohman
Associate professor at Smith School of Business and co-author of Project Leadership: Creating Value with an Adaptive Project Organization and forthcoming book entitled Sustainable Execution. Kathryn’s leading edge work combines practice with theory to explore ways organizations can effectively execute strategy with a specific focus on the impact of technology and digital transformation. Kathryn’s research has been published in premier journals and her thought-leadership is influenced by collaboration with a number of organizations including the Canada Health Infoway, Molson Coors, Bell Canada, 3M, UPS, and Delta Airlines.

Barry Cross

Barry Cross is an expert and thought leader in innovation, execution and operations strategy. He joined Smith School of Business after nearly 20 years in the automotive and manufacturing sectors with Magna, Autosystems and DuPont, where he led many key strategic initiatives, including nearly 30 program launches in North America, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Barry speaks and consults widely in the areas of Lean, Innovation, Strategy, Projects and Execution, enabling organizations to create sustainable value for their customers. He is the bestselling author of three books, including Simple: Killing Complexity for a Lean and Agile Organization, and several Most Read articles.

Elspeth Murray

Elspeth Murray has served as the Associate Dean - MBA and Masters Programs since 2012, and has been a professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Smith School of Business since 1996. She also holds the CIBC Fellowship in Entrepreneurship, and founded Queen's Centre for Business Venturing. Prior to joining Queen's, she worked in industry for 7 years for several firms including IBM, and Canadian Tire. As an integral part of her work in the strategy and new venture fields, Dr. Murray specializes in the management of change. In 2002, she co-authored a best-selling book, Fast Forward: Organizational Change in 100 Days, Oxford University Press, with Dr. Peter Richardson. She has recently co-developed (with Dr. David Saunders) the Analytics Climate Assessment Tool (ACAT), which is used to assess organizations technological capacity, skill sets, and analytics culture. Current research is focused on best practices in leading and managing change to create an analytics culture.

Dr. Murray teaches on many Smith MBA and Executive Education programs, and consults widely with a diversity of firms including BMW, Detour Gold, Wawanesa Insurance, Versacold Logistics and the Auditor General for Canada. She serves as a Director for several firms and is an advisor to several start-ups and CEO's. Dr. Murray received an undergraduate degree in computer science and mathematics, and an MBA, both from Queen's University. Her doctorate in Strategy and Management Information Systems was completed at the Richard Ivey School of Business.

Shawna O'Grady

Shawna O'Grady is an authority on strategic human resources management, team-building, and the cross-cultural aspects of international business. She is an experienced team facilitator who is in high demand for her original approach to team-building.  She is also the author of Border Crossings – Doing Business in the U.S., an award-winning book on international business.  She has consulted with many organizations including Microsoft, MDS, Mattel, Shoppers Drug Mart, Enbridge Consumers Gas, Industry Canada, BMW, Novo Nordisk, Oracle, Xerox, Bell Canada, GlaxoSmithKline, Ministry of Finance, Canada Post Corporation, and TD Canada Trust.

Paul Roman

During his 20-year military career in Communications and Electronics, Paul commanded the Canadian Army's only electronic warfare squadron. He also served as Director of the Canadian Army Experimentation Centre, where he conducted studies to assist the Army in making capability development decisions, putting him at the forefront of validating most of our modern military decision support and command support practices. Since leaving DND in 2001, Paul has pursued an academic career at both The Royal Military College and currently at Smith School of Business where he is an Associate Professor of Management Science specializing in Operations Management. He has also been an active consultant and facilitator in the development of two Army Campaign Plans and the Canadian Forces Transformation Campaign Planning Team. Paul has two research awards and numerous teaching awards to his credit and is a partner at Strategic Red Team Consulting headquartered in Ottawa. Since July of 2011 Paul has been the Director of the Executive MBA Americas Program.

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Katie Parks

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Call 1.888.393.2338 or Chat live
Monday to Friday. 8:30 am - 4:00 pm EDT

Upcoming Sessions

Fees

$9,900 CAD (plus applicable taxes)
fee includes accommodations and meals

Download a Case for Sponsorship

Fees

$9,900 CAD (plus applicable taxes)
fee includes accommodations and meals

Download a Case for Sponsorship